AHL Quick Hits is now the Morning Skate… Every morning, take a spin around the AHL ice with recaps and previews, news and notes, facts and figures, and the top headlines from around the American Hockey League.
SUNDAY’S SCORES:
Game 3 – Hershey 6, ALBANY 5 (
Game 2 – CHICAGO 4, Milwaukee 1 (CHI leads, 2-0
Game 3 – HAMILTON 5, Rochester 4 (2OT)
SUNDAY’S THREE STARS:
1. Corey Locke‘s natural hat trick were his first three career playoff points for Hamilton.
2. Matt Murley scored once, added three assists in Albany’s Game 3 loss to Hershey.
3. Mikhail Grabovski scored on the first shift of the second OT to lift the Bulldogs to victory.
MONDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times ET):
Game 4 – Hershey vs. Albany, 7:00 (at Glens Falls, N.Y.; HER leads, 2-1
Game 3 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00 (Series tied, 1-1)
Game 3 – W-B/Scranton at Norfolk, 7:15 (Series tied, 1-1)
Game 3 –
2007 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS:
Atlantic Division Semifinal — Series "A" (best-of-7)
A1-Manchester Monarchs vs. A4-Worcester Sharks || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 18 – MANCHESTER 5, Worcester 2
Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 20 – MANCHESTER 4, Worcester 3 (2OT)
Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 21 – Manchester 5, WORCESTER 0
Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Manchester at Worcester, 7:00
*Game 5 – Fri., Apr. 27 – Worcester at Manchester, 7:35
*Game 6 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Manchester at Worcester, 7:00
*Game 7 – Mon., Apr. 30 – Worcester at Manchester, 7:05
Atlantic Division Semifinal — Series "B" (best-of-7)
A2-Hartford Wolf Pack vs. A3-Providence Bruins || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 18 – HARTFORD 5, Providence 1
Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 20 – Providence 4, HARTFORD 2
Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 21 – Hartford 5, PROVIDENCE 2
Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 24 – Hartford at Providence, 7:05
Game 5 – Thu., Apr. 26 – Hartford at Providence, 7:05
*Game 6 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Providence at Hartford, 7:00
*Game 7 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Providence at Hartford, 7:00
East Division Semifinal — Series "C" (best-of-7)
E1-Hershey Bears vs. E4-Albany River Rats || Preview
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 18 – HERSHEY 3, Albany 2
Game 2 – Thu., Apr. 19 – Albany 3, HERSHEY 2 (OT)
Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 22 – Hershey 6, ALBANY 5 (GF)
Game 4 – Mon., Apr. 23 – Hershey vs. Albany, 7:00 (GF)
Game 5 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Hershey vs. Albany, 7:00 (GF)
*Game 6 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Albany at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 7 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Albany at Hershey, 5:00
East Division Semifinal — Series "D" (best-of-7)
E2-W-B/Scranton Penguins vs. E3-Norfolk Admirals || Preview
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 20 – Norfolk 5, W-B/SCRANTON 2
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – W-B/SCRANTON 5, Norfolk 2
Game 3 – Mon., Apr. 23 – W-B/Scranton at Norfolk, 7:15
Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 25 – W-B/Scranton at Norfolk, 7:15
Game 5 – Fri., Apr. 27 – W-B/Scranton at Norfolk, 7:15
*Game 6 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Norfolk at W-B/Scranton, 5:05
*Game 7 – Tue., May 1 – Norfolk at W-B/Scranton, 7:05
North Division Semifinal — Series "E" (best-of-7)
N1-Manitoba Moose vs. N4-Grand Rapids Griffins || Preview
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 19 – MANITOBA 1, Grand Rapids 0
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – Grand Rapids 4, MANITOBA 1
Game 3 – Mon., Apr. 23 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00
Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00
Game 5 – Fri., Apr. 27 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*Game 6 – Sun., Apr. 29 – Grand Rapids at Manitoba, 8:30
*Game 7 – Tue., May 1 – Grand Rapids at Manitoba, 8:30
North Division Semifinal — Series "F" (best-of-7)
N2-Rochester Americans vs. N3-Hamilton Bulldogs || Preview
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 19 – Hamilton 2, ROCHESTER 0
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – ROCHESTER 3, Hamilton 1
Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 22 – HAMILTON 5, Rochester 4 (2OT)
Game 4 – Tue., Apr. 24 – Rochester at Hamilton, 7:30
Game 5 – Thu., Apr. 26 – Hamilton at Rochester, 7:05
*Game 6 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Rochester at Hamilton, 7:00
*Game 7 – Mon., Apr. 30 – Hamilton at Rochester, 7:05
West Division Semifinal — Series "G" (best-of-7)
W1-Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights vs. W4-Iowa Stars || Preview
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 20 – OMAHA 4, Iowa 2
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 21 – Iowa 2, OMAHA 1 (OT)
Game 3 – Mon., Apr. 23 – Omaha at Iowa, 8:05
Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Omaha at Iowa, 8:05
Game 5 – Fri., Apr. 27 – Iowa at Omaha, 8:00
*Game 6 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Omaha at Iowa, 8:05
*Game 7 – Tue., May 1 – Iowa at Omaha, 8:00
West Division Semifinal — Series "H" (best-of-7)
W2-Chicago Wolves vs. W3-Milwaukee Admirals || Preview
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 20 – CHICAGO 3, Milwaukee 2
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 22 – CHICAGO 4, Milwaukee 1
Game 3 – Tue., Apr. 24 – Chicago at Milwaukee, 8:00
Game 4 – Wed., Apr. 25 – Chicago at Milwaukee, 8:00
*Game 5 – Fri., Apr. 27 – Milwaukee at Chicago, 8:30
*Game 6 – Sat., Apr. 28 – Chicago at Milwaukee, 8:30
*Game 7 – Tue., May 1 – Milwaukee at Chicago, 8:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
GAME NOTES (all times ET):
Game 4 – Hershey vs. Albany, 7:00 (at Glens Falls, N.Y.; HER leads, 2-1
Scott Barney had two goals and Jakub Klepis had three assists as Hershey outdueled Albany by the score of 6-5 in Sunday’s Game 3… Bears forward Kyle Wilson has points in all three games in the series thus far (2g, 3a)… Matt Murley, native of nearby Troy, N.Y., and product of RPI, had a goal and three assists for the River Rats in Game 3… Sunday’s win was Hershey’s 12th straight road victory over Albany… The “home” team has now lost 10 of its last 11 Calder Cup Playoff games at the Glens Falls Civic Center… Both head coaches in this series – the Bears’ Bruce Boudreau and the River Rats’ Tom Rowe – played in Glens Falls for the Adirondack Red Wings.
Game 3 – Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7:00 (Series tied, 1-1)
Matt Ellis netted a hat trick in Game 2 on Saturday to help pull Grand Rapids even at one game apiece with a 4-1 win over Manitoba… Griffins goaltender Jimmy Howard has stopped 57 of 59 shots in the series so far (1.01, .966)… The Moose split four games in Grand Rapids during last year’s playoff meeting… The Griffins were 22-13-2-3 on home ice during the 2006-07 regular season; Manitoba was 20-13-4-3 on the road… Moose forward Brad Moran has two goals and three assists in four games at Van Andel Arena this season.
Game 3 – W-B/Scranton at Norfolk, 7:15 (Series tied, 1-1)
Norfolk, which won a league-leading 32 home games during the regular season, returns to Scope after splitting the first two games of its series in Wilkes-Barre… Jonathan Filewich had three points in Wilkes-Barre’s 5-2 win in Game 2 on Saturday night, and became the fourth Penguin ever to score two goals in a single playoff period… Jonas Nordqvist has seven points (3g, 4a) in five games for the Admirals since returning from his first career NHL stint with Chicago, Apr. 5-8… The Pens had lost nine straight Game 2’s before Saturday’s victory… Norfolk owned the AHL’s best power play in the regular season while Wilkes-Barre was second; they are a combined 7-for-22 in the series (31.8 percent).
Game 3 –
Marius Holtet scored the game-winner at 3:35 of overtime on Saturday night, giving Iowa a 2-1 win in Game 2… Dan Ellis made 27 saves to earn his first career Calder Cup Playoff victory… Fourth-year pro Matt DeMarchi added his first career playoff goal for the Stars… Brett Palin, who has one goal in 142 regular-season games, scored shorthanded for the Ak-Sar-Ben Knights in Game 2… Omaha has won nine of 11 all-time visits to Wells Fargo Arena, allowing a total of 17 goals… The Knights tied an AHL record with 27 road wins in 2006-07.
MORNING HEADLINES:
ADMIRALS’ NUMBER ONE LINE LOOKING TO REGAIN TOP FORM
Paul White, Virginian-Pilot
Anybody seen Martin St. Pierre? You know, the Norfolk Admirals’ playmaking whiz? The somewhat vertically challenged stat-sheet stuffer whose passing prowess has fueled one of the top-scoring lines in the AHL? Oh, he’s been on the ice. But through two games of the Admirals’ East Division semifinal series against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, it’s his usual scoring brilliance – or that of linemates Troy Brouwer and Pierre Parenteau, for that matter – that has yet to come into focus. "I know I’ve been pretty invisible the first two games," St. Pierre said as the Admirals prepared for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series at 7:15 tonight at Scope. "Now is the time to step up."
PENS NEED TO CONTINUE STRONG PLAY IN TRENCHES
Jonathan Bombulie, The Citizens’ Voice
Football coaches like to talk about games being won or lost in the trenches, where massive linemen clash in a battle of wills. It’s no different in the Calder Cup playoffs. When the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lost Game 1 of their East Division semifinal series against the Norfolk Admirals on Friday night, they were outbattled in hockey’s version of the trenches – in the corners and the area in front of the net. Most notably, Norfolk’s Colin Fraser willed his way to a loose puck with the score tied late in the third period and backhanded in the game-winning goal. When the Penguins won Game 2 Saturday night, it was a completely different story.
MOOSE NEED TO BULGE THE TWINE FOR PLAYOF SUCCESS
Ken Wiebe, Winnipeg Sun
If the Manitoba Moose plan on winning this opening-round AHL playoff series, they’ll need to score more goals. Period. This is not a striking revelation and certainly has nothing to do with rocket science or re-inventing the wheel, but two goals in two games simply won’t cut it for a team that considers itself a legitimate Calder Cup contender. But when a question about secondary scoring was posed to Scott Arniel yesterday, the head coach didn’t sound overly concerned that both of the goals Manitoba managed in the first two games of the North Division semifinal came off the sticks of Lee Goren and Brad Moran, who anchor the top line with Jason Jaffray (who assisted on both goals).
FROM CALDER TO STANLEY:
Brian Gionta scored twice and 1997 AHL All-Star Patrik Elias had three assists as New Jersey eliminated Tampa Bay with a 3-2 win in Game 6 on Sunday.
Two-time AHL All-Star Miikka Kiprusoff made 53 saves in Calgary’s 2-1 double-overtime loss to Detroit last night.
ON THIS DATE:
April 23, 1994 – Mike Boback ties a Calder Cup Playoff record with seven points, recording three goals and four assists in Portland’s 9-2 win at Albany.
April 23, 1993 – Kris Draper nets a goal and an assist and Andy Brickley gets the game-winner in overtime as Moncton defeats St. John’s, 5-4.
April 23, 1974 – Rick Middleton‘s goal 16:07 into overtime gives Providence a series-clinching 4-3 win in Game 4 at New Haven, sending the Reds to the Calder Cup Final.
ON THE AIR:
B2 Networks brings AHL action to your computer, web-enabled cell phone or PDA throughout the Calder Cup Playoffs with live video webcasts of nearly every AHL game… Visit caldercup.com for details.
